Darby Allin

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Danielson Embraces 'Wrestling' with AEW Move

On a night full of big debuts, none was bigger at AEW's All Out pay-per-view than Bryan Danielson's arrival to close out the show.

Speaking to fans inside NOW Arena, Danielson echoed one theme of CM Punk's long-awaited comeback.

"I am a wrestler," he said, per Wrestling Inc's Sai Mohan. "I never left wrestling. I took wrestling everywhere I went. I said wrestling when I wasn't supposed to say wrestling. And now, I'm here to goddamn wrestle!"

During his promo on AEW Rampage after returning to the ring, Punk said how he "left professional wrestling" in 2005, which is when he signed with WWE. That comment referenced how WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has long viewed his product as "sports entertainment" rather than wrestling.

AEW appears to be establishing itself as a contrast to that.

Cole Explains Departure from WWE

Before Danielson made his way down the entrance ramp, it looked like Adam Cole was going to be AEW's most impactful addition Sunday night.

Cole said during a post-All Out media conference he "had a very excellent four-year experience" in WWE—competing almost exclusively in NXT. Despite that, the allure of signing with AEW was too good to pass up.

For years, wrestlers didn't have many alternatives to WWE in the United States if they grew a bit disenchanted or wanted a new challenge. No other promotion was a viable direct competitor, and competing on the independent scene brought its own challenges.

In terms of revenue, AEW still has a long way to go to catch up to WWE. The signings of Punk, Danielson, Cole and Ruby Soho show how it's quickly earning a reputation to be on par with WWE as an in-ring rival, though.

Foley: AEW Has 'No Shortage of Compelling Storylines'

Wrestling legend Mick Foley praised the work of AEW in building a strong stable of stars less than two full years after the launch of AEW Dynamite in October 2019.

There's no question the buzz surrounding AEW is enormous.

Maintaining that momentum is the company's next challenge because the initial excitement inevitably fades. As Foley alluded to, telling engaging stories and making Dynamite and Rampage must-watch television is what AEW needs to truly thrive.

It's equally important to use marquee stars such as Danielson and Punk to help shine a light on wrestlers who didn't build reputations in WWE. There are probably a lot of people who have discovered Darby Allin in large part because of his alliance with Sting and brief feud with Punk.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

In his first match in more than seven years, CM Punk defeated Darby Allin at AEW All Out on Sunday in his hometown of Chicago.

This was an intense match that featured Allin ricocheting off a ring post before careening to the ringside below:

Allin also flipped off the top rope onto Punk:

The crowd was understandably hot for the match beforehand, chanting both wrestlers' names during Punk's debut contest for All Elite Wrestling.

In the end, Punk won after hitting the GTS. 

Afterward, Sting and The Best in the World shook hands in a show of respect between the two legends:

The two in-ring opponents did the same:

Punk made his long-awaited return to professional wrestling on August 20 when he appeared on the second episode of AEW Rampage, which was held at the United Center in Chicago.

After enjoying the ovation of the fans and cutting a heartfelt promo about why he was back and where he had been, the 42-year-old laid down a challenge for All Out and directed his attention toward Allin.

In the weeks leading up to Punk's debut, Allin had mentioned his desire to face "the best in the world," which most assumed was a reference to the former WWE star. It turns out that was the case, as he and Sting watched his debut appearance from the rafters.

After Punk made the challenge, the contest was made official for All Out, making an already massive pay-per-view even bigger.

Prior to Sunday, Punk hadn't competed in a wrestling match since the 2014 Royal Rumble in WWE. He left WWE after that due to issues with the company, and it was unclear if he would ever return to wrestling.

During his hiatus, he was involved in several projects, including competing in two UFC fights, doing MMA commentary and acting in movies.

Punk seemed happy in those endeavors, but there was some indication that the wrestling bug was still present in 2019 when he signed a deal with Fox to be an analyst on FS1's WWE Backstage.

The show was canceled last year, but it allowed him to become part of the wrestling world again by discussing the WWE product and giving his opinions.

After making his first AEW appearance, Punk revealed he had been in discussions with company president Tony Khan for 18 months. His arrival was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though, as he didn't want to come back without fans.

Punk is now the talk of the wrestling world again, and he got his AEW career off to a winning start against one of the fastest-rising stars in the industry.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

One of All Elite Wrestling's biggest annual events, All Out, will once again emanate from the Chicago area Sunday, and it will feature perhaps one of the most historically significant professional wrestling matches of all time.

After more than seven years out of the game, CM Punk will make his in-ring return in his hometown against rising star Darby Allin. It will mark Punk's first match since competing in the 2014 Royal Rumble match in WWE.

There will also be four titles on the line, including the AEW World Championship, which will be defended by Kenny Omega against Christian Cage.

On top of that, rumors are circulating that former WWE star Daniel Bryan could make his AEW debut at the show.

With excitement mounting for All Out, here is a full rundown of the card and all the information needed to watch it Sunday night.

Where: NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois

When: Sunday, Sept 5 at 8 p.m. ET (pre-show starts at 7 p.m. ET)

Watch: PPV available for purchase on Bleacher Report for $49.99. Can be purchased and streamed on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Xbox.

AEW All Out 2021 Match Card

• CM Punk vs. Darby Allin
• AEW World Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Christian Cage
• Chris Jericho vs. MJF (Jericho must retire if he loses)
• AEW World Tag Team Championship Steel Cage Match: Young Bucks (c) vs. Lucha Bros.
• Jon Moxley vs. Satoshi Kojima
• AEW Women's World Championship: Britt Baker (c) vs. Kris Statlander
• AEW TNT Championship: Miro (c) vs. Eddie Kingston
• Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall
• 21-Woman Casino Battle Royale
• Orange Cassidy, Wheeler Yuta, Chuck Taylor and Jurassic Express vs. Matt Hardy, Private Party and TH2

Top Matches to Watch

CM Punk vs. Darby Allin

Wrestling fans have waited years to see Punk back inside a ring, and the wait will finally come to an end Sunday when he locks horns with Allin.

Punk has already been on AEW programming on a few occasions, and the reactions have been huge. That was especially true of his return on AEW Rampage in his hometown of Chicago.

It is fitting that Punk's first match back will take place in the Chicago area, which should ensure that the crowd is raucous and 100 percent behind him despite Allin's popularity.

The possibility of ring rust exists given how long Punk has been on the sidelines, but since he was one of the best in-ring workers in the world before leaving wrestling, he shouldn't struggle too much in terms of getting back in the swing of things.

The added element of Sting potentially being in Allin's corner as well brings some additional intrigue to the table, especially if there are plans in place for a Punk vs. Sting dream match in the future.

Perhaps the biggest question related to Punk vs. Allin is where it will go on the card. It could make sense as an opener, but given that it is the most highly anticipated match, it likely deserves the main event slot.

If it does go on last, perhaps an encounter between Punk and Bryan could be the way All Out goes off the air.

Kenny Omega vs. Christian Cage

Punk vs. Allin may be the match fans most want to see, but it can be argued that the most important match on the card is Omega vs. Cage for the AEW World Championship.

Omega and Christian have been at odds for the past several weeks, and they have already faced each other once, as they went head-to-head in the opening match of the first episode of Rampage.

In that match, Omega put the Impact Wrestling World Championship on the line, and he dropped it to Cage in controversial fashion.

Omega attempted to cheat, but the wily Cage got the upper hand by hitting Omega with a Kill Switch on to a steel chair while the referee's back was turned.

With Christian having a singles win against Omega under his belt, he has the makings of a true threat to end Omega's AEW World title reign as well.

While it seems somewhat unlikely that Omega will drop the title to a veteran like Christian rather than an up-and-coming star like "Hangman" Adam Page down the line, Cage will undoubtedly have plenty of support.

Regardless of the result, it promises to be a quality match between two of the best in-ring workers AEW has to offer.

Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros.

Although it isn't the most significant match of the night, the AEW World Tag Team Championship match between The Young Bucks and The Lucha Bros. has a legitimate chance to be the best match at All Out.

The Bucks and The Lucha Bros. have a long history, including the memorable ladder match they had for the AAA Tag Team Championships at All Out 2019.

Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo won that bout, but two years later The Young Bucks are at the top of the AEW tag team division.

Like Omega, The Young Bucks have experienced much of their success thanks to outside interference, but that won't be possible at All Out because of the steel cage stipulation.

The Young Bucks and The Lucha Bros. have already shown many times over that they have great in-ring chemistry, although they have never faced off in a ladder match.

The added wrinkle should ensure that it is a much different match than ones they had in the past, and it should allow everyone involved to shine as well.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Punk Explains Why Allin Is First AEW Opponent

CM Punk will make his long-awaited return to in-ring action Sunday at AEW All Out when he faces Darby Allin.

Punk has not competed in a match in more than seven years, which means his clash with Allin will be a historic moment, and one can only assume a lot of thought went into determining Punk's first dance partner.

In an interview with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, Punk explained why he believes Allin is the right choice:

"I think he's the perfect opponent. … I'm kind of approaching it like I'm quasi-new guy, but old head coming back into this thing. From an artistic storyline perspective, I can't go after Kenny [Omega] right way. He's the [world] champion. It wouldn't make any sense. I never wrestled in this organization. Darby is a lot of things. He's a fantastic talent, he's a great personality. Within the AEW storytelling, he's a very compelling character that the fans like. I just think he's like the perfect foil right now."

It has often been said that Allin has quite a few similarities to Jeff Hardy, and it should be noted that Punk had a highly successful and memorable feud with Hardy in WWE in 2009.

Also, Allin is one of the top young talents in AEW and the wrestling business as a whole, so it makes sense why Punk would want to lock horns with him.

There are many fresh matchups available to Punk since he has been out of the wrestling business for seven years, and of anyone on the AEW roster, Allin is at or near the top of the list when it comes to compelling opponents.

It stands to reason that Punk will mix it up with most or all of AEW's top stars in the coming years, and getting a dream match against Allin out of the way first should ensure that Punk gets his return to wrestling off on the right foot.

Ric Flair Says Charlotte Is "Never" Leaving WWE

Ric Flair recently departed WWE, but the two-time WWE Hall of Famer doesn't envision his daughter following in his footsteps.

Appearing on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Flair said the following regarding Charlotte Flair's WWE status:

"Everybody wants to start some s--t that didn't exist. Ashley [Charlotte's real name] would never leave there. She's the happiest she's ever been, and obviously they're not mad at me [otherwise Charlotte wouldn't have won her 12th title] … I was so excited. I didn't know. I was so excited for her, and it's the first one I missed."

Flair alluded to the fact that Charlotte won a Triple Threat match against Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam last month to secure the Raw Women's Championship, marking her 12th singles title reign on WWE's main roster.

There has recently been speculation among fans that Charlotte could leave WWE in the near future given that her father and fiance have done so this year.

Charlotte's fiance, Andrade El Idolo, requested and received his WWE release in March. He later signed with AEW and is set to face Pac at AEW All Out on Sunday.

The 72-year-old Flair, who had an on-and-off role on WWE programming, also requested his release. Flair noted in a statement that he had a "different vision" than WWE for his future in wrestling and thanked the company for all it provided him with.

All signs point toward WWE having a positive relationship with Flair, and that alone could play a role in Charlotte being happy in the company and wanting to stay there as long as possible.

Charlotte is already the most decorated woman in WWE history just six years into her main roster career, and based on how she has been booked, it seems likely that she will be at or near the top for the entirety of her tenure.

Angle Says He Has Received Multiple Contract Offers from AEW

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle said Tuesday that he has turned down multiple offers to sign with AEW.

According to WrestlingInc.com's Jason Ounpraseuth, Angle said: "Yes, they offered me a couple of different contracts. I turned it down for personal reasons, but {AEW President] Tony Khan's been really nice to me, very generous, and I really appreciate his interest in having me there. But at this particular time, I can't do it."

Angle said AEW made him contract offers last year as well ranging from deals that would see him wrestle "many matches" to ones that wouldn't see him wrestle at all.

The 52-year-old Angle wrestled his retirement match at WrestleMania 35 over two years ago, losing to Baron Corbin.

While there was some disappointment among fans regarding the opponent, it was clear at the time that Angle had lost several steps compared to his status as arguably the best in-ring worker in the world earlier in his career.

Injuries have taken a toll on Angle over the years, although it isn't outside the realm of possibility that he could work a one-off match if it is something that eventually interests him.

AEW has picked its spots with the 62-year-old Sting, who was thought to be retired from in-ring competition after suffering a neck injury with WWE several years ago.

Using Angle in a similar manner could make sense, although the Olympic gold medalist has resisted overtures to this point.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).